


Hareton's gruesome childhood

by mysticalraine



Category: Wuthering Heights (1970)
Genre: Dead People, Gen, Minor Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-13
Updated: 2015-03-13
Packaged: 2018-03-17 16:09:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3535727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mysticalraine/pseuds/mysticalraine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Haven't you always wondered how Hareton became to be devoted to Heathcliff? This one shot shows the scene of Hareton being taken up by a man who hates him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hareton's gruesome childhood

Young Hareton crouched over the disgusting form of his father. He suspected that he had passed sometime during the night after yelling sober oaths at him and Master Heathcliff. Hindley had vomited uncontrollably over the dank wooden table before falling onto the infested bed and breathing his last labored breathes. Hareton ran his hand over his father diluted eyes, closing them. He sat there for the remainder of the morning and afternoon. It somehow felt like the correct thing to do. He never really liked this drunken sop but he felt somewhere in his life he had had a closer relationship to this person. The man had never been kind to him, constantly telling him that he was the cause of his mother's death. But then again, he had never known what it was like to be cared for. Master Heathcliff, a tall towering figure recently appeared to take over the house, who had not even paid recognition to Hareton's existence. So his didn't think that Heathcliff would take him under his wing.

He heard heavy footsteps coming closer to the door. Hareton's first instinct was to run and hide but when he heard the husky voice of the now-owner of the house speaking to Philip the caretaker, he remained. The rusted door swung open, shining bright afternoon light into the dark room. He heard Heathcliff walking into the room closely followed by the old caretaker. The footsteps stopped just behind him. Master Heathcliff cursed, leaning forward over Hareton, to feel Hindley's skin. There must have been coolness to have confirmed Hindley's death as Heathcliff draw back and whispered angrily to the caretaker. Hareton risked a quick look at Heathcliff, scared about his fate. Heathcliff stared back. Hareton lowered his eyes back onto the dead form of his father. The back of his neck prickled and he feared a fatal blow at the back of his head, killing him. He knew that this tall stranger had a sickening air of authority around him. He knew one flick of Heathcliff's hand and the old caretaker would kill him.

Hareton did not expect the heavy hand which was lowered onto his thin shoulder. He flicked his head around to see into the eyes of the Heathcliff. For a moment he saw pity in the mans eyes which was almost immediately replaced by condensing dislike. The man pulled Hareton up off the dusty floor and held him up in his arms.

"I guess its just, you and me now", he grumbled down to him.

Hareton's heart went fluttering. This man was taking him in! Heathcliff was the first person in his entire life that had shown any sort of love or care toward him. He swallowed a large lump in his throat as he attempted to voice his appreciation but his tongue failed him. Heathcliff let him go and ordered the old caretaker to remove the corpse.

Heathcliff and Philip strode out leaving Hareton in the middle of the kitchen, tears running down his cheeks. He swore then, to himself, that he would forever serve this man who had been the first to show any sort of feeling towards him, who had taken him in, saving him for the cruel workings of the world outside. Did young Hareton not know that the world he would now live in was to be hell compared to the life he could get outside?

**Author's Note:**

> This was just a very short one-shot I wrote a while ago, when I was studying Wuthering Heights for High School. I found it on my old computer. It's not great but it was one of the first fanfics I ever wrote. Oh memories. =)


End file.
